Conversations on Antisemitism and Islamophobia event series

May 1, 2023 - Sadie Nguyen

This spring, the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion's Education Development Team, Muslim and Jewish studies faculty inaugurated the first “Conversations on Antisemitism and Islamophobia” event series, an adaptation from previous MSU Dialogues on religion and ethnicity. During four two-hour virtual sessions, faculty experts discussed the history and current manifestations of antisemitic and Islamophobic prejudices which occur globally, nationally and on college campuses. The series was open to MSU faculty, staff and students.

“It was an honor to partner with faculty from the James Madison College, Department of History and Department of Religious Studies to host this critical discussion. We wanted to create a forum centered on the concerns of Jewish and Muslim communities at MSU,” said Vanessa Holmes, multicultural development manager in IDI.

With recent national incidents, news and rising cases of harassment impacting the Jewish and Muslim communities, MSU faculty collaborated to debunk common harmful tropes that perpetuate prejudice or stereotypes. Professors focused on the diversity of Jews and Muslims, including personal experiences and ideas for allyship and recommendations moving forward. Over thirty participants attended and engaged throughout the sessions.

“Conversations on Antisemitism and Islamophobia allowed for a much more in depth, comprehensive and ongoing dialogue and engagement over several weeks. This not only enabled us to educate about antisemitism and Islamophobia to attendees, but also strengthen our own collaboration,” stated Yael Aronoff, director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel. “There are a great many commonalities in our communities and awareness about prejudices against them is one such bridge.”

Aronoff collaborated alongside professors Kirsten Fermaglich, Amy Simon, Morgan Shipley, Mohammad Khalil, with staff Ariana Mentzel, student Ellie Baden and recent MSU graduate Nadir Hamid to develop and present the informative discussion-based event series, paving way toward a more inclusive MSU campus. The collaborating team look forward to future offerings of the Conversations on Antisemitism and Islamophobia to continue to build on their work and offer the opportunity for more members of the MSU community to participate.